Sreepada Sreevallabha Charitaamrutam - 16

Chapter –16 

 The account of Sreemannarayana 

 Recollecting the divine history of Sri Sreepada, remembering Sri Sreepada’s name mentally, I continued my journey. My heart felt elated with joy that I was nearing the present place of residence of Sri Sreepada at Kurugadda. On the way I saw a sugarcane field. The cultivator in that field was seated comfortably on a platform erected in the field. He invited me with humility, “Sir! Please take rest here for some time. You can drink sugar cane juice and leave. Please come.”I drank the sugar cane juice offered by the farmer. It was very sweet. Having known the information that I was going for the darshan of Sri Sreepada he was extremely happy. That farmer began to narrate this, “Sir! My name is Sreemannarayana. My surname is Mallaadi. Our native place is Malyadripuram. In course of time that name changed as Malladi. The native place of Sri Baapanaarya is also Malyadripuram and his surname is also Malladi but he is a brahmin and I belong to kamma caste. We had intimate relationship with the family of Sri Baapanaarya. When Sri Sreepada was eight years old, we left Malyadripuram and migrated to Pithapuram. The conditions in our native village became adverse. Financial position was very critical. We could not endure the troubles due to our debts. We sold away all fixed and movable properties and reached Pithikapur only with the dresses we had on our persons. Sri Baapanaarya treated us well and gave us food and drink. We wanted to take on lease the agricultural land of Sri Baapanaarya and engage in it’s cultivation. We prayed to Sri Baapanaarya, “It is not desirable to eat like parasites. You gave us food and water and saved our lives. It is painful to sell fire wood in places where earlier we sold flowers. That was the reason why we left our village and came to Pithikapuram. We will be grateful if you kindly give us your land for lease. Kindly show mercy on us.” On that day Sri Sreepada was in the house of Sri Baapanaarya. Sri Sreepada remarked for that. “The food available in the house of Sri Baapanaarya is equal to divine prasaad . It is not available for those who are bereft of divine grace. It is impossible for common people to get darshan of a great tapasvi(who performs penance) like Sri Baapanaarya. You got that fortune owing to the punya earned previously.” Sri Baapanaarya said, “We have already given our land to cultivators. They are cultivating the lands. It is contrary to ethical principles to remove them in the absence of justifiable grounds. You be patient for some more days. Some other way may be available.” Then Sri Sreepada said, “Here are a fistful of black grams. Tie them carefully in a cloth and move towards West. After fulfilment of your desire throw away these black grams. Can’t the Lord of universe who provides food to the frog encased in a rock, arrange food and drink for you?” After taking the meals in the house of Sri Baapanaarya we started our journey westward with blackgram tied in our apron fringes. On account of the mercy of Sri Sreepada we did not experience any paucity of food and water. Food was available without asking for it. This was a great wonder. We crossed Andhra desa and reached Karnataka desa. On the way we saw a cottage. Only a old couple were there in that. They also belonged to kamma caste. They had only one son. He died of snake bite. After some days his wife also drowned and died while taking bath in river Krishna. They had no children. There was no one to look after the old couple in their oldage. Their relations wanted to seize their property. They were ingratiating themselves with the old couple with their sweet words. The old pair was in a dilemma as how to partition their properties between those relatives. We received the hospitality of those old people. We were facing some obstacles whenever we wanted to leave. At one time we wanted stubbornly to set on journey. Suddenly all the people in the house suffered from vomitings and motions. When we wanted to leave after they recovered the old couple prevented us. Their affection for us enhanced. It was not liked by their relations. They were feeling that we were staying in that house to snatch the property. The blackgram tied in the cloth began to give unbearable foul smell. We threw away the black gram given by Sri Sreepada thinking that they were no longer required. We decided to do or die there. The relations wanted the properties of the old couple but not interested in them. As we also belong to their caste the old couple was determined to adopt us and hand over the properties to us. The relations were observing these matters. It was very painful to them. So they arrived at some agreement among themselves. They wanted to divide the property equally among themselves and drive us away from the house in someway or the other. There was an astrologer who was well known to the relations. They offered secret inducement to him and brought him to the house of old couple. The astrologer told, “Your guests are of utmost misfortune. Wherever they reside, fortune will not like to stay in that house. Not only that. All sorts of poverty will grip them. Send them away from your house as early as possible.” For that aged husband and his wife said, “If they have the misfortune in their horoscope as suggested by you, some measures of relief must have been surely mentioned in the scriptures. We request you to conduct pooja and other rituals to nullify their misfortunes and confer all auspicious fortunes. We are prepared for any amount of expenditure. The entire world moves under the control of deities. Deities are under the control of mantras. Such mantras are under the control of brahmins. Therefore, virtuous brahmins like you are deities on earth for us. Kindly honour our request.” The astrologer had no other option except to make arrangements for worship etc. My dear Shankar Bhatt!Rain is required for paddy crop.Yagna gives rain.Yagna has come from rituals. Veda is the source for all ritualistic activities. Men should adore deities by way of yaagas. Deities should give all prosperity to them. In this way there is mutual dependence between humans and celestials.Yagnas are of five kinds namely deva yagna, manushya yagna, bhoota yagna, pitru yagna and brahma yagna. The leelas of Sri Sreepada are very very strange. The yagna was performed by virtuous brahmins with the monetary aid of the old couple for the achievement of all auspicious blessings. Infact there were no afflictions in our horoscope. By the kindness of the old couple we had the good fortune of witnessing the most sacred sacrifice. Indra and other celestials are deities in absentia. The priests who preside over and conduct the yagna are deities in fact who are present. Small offerings made in the fire to Indra and other deities enhance sufficiently to suit the demands of each of the celestials on account of the efficacy of mantras. Mother-earth is supported by these seven Mother-earth is borne by cows, vedas, brahmins,pativratas,satyavantulu(truthful people), liberal people and charitable people.Bullock is very much necessary for cultivation.Gomaata(mother-cow) gives useful materials like milk, curd and helps humans on this earth. By helping sacrifices and rituals it helps men greatly in the attaining status of the other world.Indra and all deities accept havissu(an offering made during a sacrifice) offered with vedic mantras. Veda is the origin for all dharmas. Therefore, earth is also supported by Vedas. Brahmins make the people perform virtuous acts like sacred sacrifices. So earth is also supported by Brahmins.Pativratas are protecting dharma from getting disturbed through the efficacy of their Paativratya(chastity and virtuousity of married women).Satyavantulu are protecting the earth by their adherence to truth with their truthful resolve.Liberal people who forsake miserliness, distribute the sweetness in cooperative life to so many others.Charitable persons with their earthly wealth and the wealth of punya of other world rescue destitutes, down-trodden, and unfortunate people. On the occasion of our visit to a great virtuous personage like Sri Baapanaarya Sri Sreepada who is the yagna purusha made us as instruments and He indirectly completed all the processes of yagna and made us fortunate. The way in which Sri Sreepada rescued His devotees The sacrifice was completed without any obstacle. The old couple decided about us as their heirs. Their relatives did not like the way things were happening. In the only one field of ours there was a garden of chillies. On the four borders of that garden there were palm trees. Those palm trees were given to ‘goudas’ for drawing liquor from those trees.The relations were trying to collect the chillies in crooked ways and attempting to take them out. Bagsful of ripe chillies were plucked. They kept those bags on bullock carts and were ready to move. At that time I went into the field. I was astonished on seeing that scene. I was alone and they were ten. Surprisingly I saw a bear drinking liquor from one of the palm trees. That bear jumped down from the tree. All were afraid of the bear! With its sharp claws it will tear even the muscles of men. If it’s claws pierce the body, blood also will be poisoned. That bear directly came to the bullock cart. The relatives ran out of terrible fear. I was very much afraid and began chanting the name of Sri Sreepada. That horrible bear turned very docile. It was calm and was clapping its hands whenever I uttered the name of Sri Sreepada. I reached home in the cart drawn by two bullocks with bags of chilly fruits. The bear was walking in front of the cart. This caused great wonder not only to the old couple in our house but also to all the neighbours. We were chanting the name of Sri Sreepada all throughout the night. The bear was also peacefully beating its hands in tune with music during the chanting of the name of Sreepada. The bear also received the prasaad of Sri Sreepada very happily. From that day onwards the bear was moving like our family member. It was showing great love towards our family members. It was creating terror in those who were inimical towards our family. That bear was guarding all our fields. We were rid of the fear from thieves. Discussions relating to the sportive plays of Lord Datta and chanting of the name of Sri Sreepada were going on uninterrupted in our house daily.” When Sreemannarayana was giving these details the bear entered the sugarcane field. On seeing it I perspired profusely out of fear but, it exhibited utmost friendliness towards me. When I started chanting the name of Sri Sreepada it began to dance with joy. A taantrik came to our nearby villages. He obtained some powers by means of some evil practices. He was collecting lot of money from those who were coming under his influence. Relations of the old couple took his help. That taantrik came to our village. He applied his tantra(secret magical rites) on the bear. The strength of the bear was completely lost. The followers of taantrik were overjoyed. The bear slept motionless. By one yogic exercise the taantrik identified closely with the consciousness of the bear and by another yogic exercise he attracted all its powers into him. Rescuing of devotees from their ‘past karmas’ by Sri Sreepada The playful pastimes of Sri Sreepada are unimaginable. It is a laborious matter to search connections between causes and effects. Action without cause will never occur. Indra caused terrific rains according to His dharma. Sree Krishna uplifted Govardhana hillock in accordance with His dharma and fulfilled His gopala dharma. In the same fashion Sri Sreepada also allowed the yogic powers of taantrik to work. The bear was subjected to the yogic torture. However, some element of punya in the bear turned it into a devotee of Sri Sreepada. It was crying silently.Sri Sreepada will surely hear the lamentations of all living beings. He will diminish the intensity of the results of sinful actions with His grace at the time of dispensing the fruits to each one according to their past actions or fate.In the house of Sreemannarayana discourses about Datta-charitra and the devotional singing of the name of Sreepada Sreevallabha were going on regularly. There were many doubts in the minds of devotees assembled there. Some of them were absent minded but some other sincere devotees were having unshakable devotion towards Sri Sreepada. A miracle took place while the devotional chanting of Sreepada’s name was going on. The bear which lied down motionless like a dead one began to regain consciousness. It recovered all its previous strengths. It was jumping with joy when the devotees were making naama-paaraayana(devoted chanting of a name). The yoga of Sree Dattatreya is far superior to all the yogic practices of the past. The soul consciousness of bear was being transferred from the bear into the taantrik . The soul consciousness of the taantrik was being transformed from human nature into the nature of a bear. The nature of bear was extinguished and human nature was taking shape in the bear. Though he was in human form, as he was changed into the nature of a bear the taantrik was behaving like a bear. His own followers tied him with ropes and left him in the forest.The bear commenced speaking in human language, “Sirs! I was a money lender in my previous birth. I was collecting exorbitant interests and troubling people very much. As a result I am born as a bear. On account of my past meritorious virtue, I got the grace of Sri Sreepada. Please note that Sri Sreepada is verily Lord Datta Himself. I am going to get a nobler birth due to His grace.Taantrik did many sinful acts. In addition he wanted to harm a devotee of Sri Sreepada and a dumb creature like me. Sri Sreepada punished him for that.Both protection and punishment dwell in Sri Sreepada. He is always gracious towards those who adore Him with steadfast devotion. He punishes those who abuse devotees and those who create difficulties for theists. After undergoing the punishment they gradually change as devotees.Keep on chanting the name of SriSreepada, I am going to obtain a nobler status.” All were wonder struck and continued to devotedly sing the name of Sri Sreepada. The bear was silent and remained in a trance. While the chanting of the name was going on three cobras came from somewhere. They were also in a trance when the chanting of the name was done. The bear gave up its life peacefully. The three cobras circumambulated the bear thrice. No one could understand where from the snakes came and what for they came. We conducted funeral rites to the bear as were done for humans. The cobras stayed in our house for the whole day. The name Sri Sreepada was our sole refuge at all times and in all states. We were remembering that sacred name. The cobras were drinking the milk offered to Sri Sreepada. If females in their menstrual periods, or if any one suffering from foul defilement was in the group, the cobras were hissing. Some people were afraid to visit our house because cobras were in our house. Devotees of Datta used to come freely to our house. Those cobras were absorbed with devotion whenever they heard the name of Datta or Sri Sreepada. The relatives of the old couple unlawfully occupied some space in the house of the old people. The village elders decided that space as a disputed one. Permission was also granted to those relatives to grow vegetables in that place till a final decree was delivered. The relations influenced the village elders with enticement of money. Because of this, final judgement was not delivered for any length of time. The judgement was being adjourned on flimsy grounds. There was a snake pit in that disputed land. Milk was poured into the snake pit during Naaga-chaturdhi. As there were no snakes in that pit milk was poured without any fear. Those who were offering milk were praying “Naaga-devataa! Naaga-devataa! Grant us the fortune of your appearance! Fulfil our desires.” All those who prayed like this knew fully well that there was not even one cobra there. Sri Sreepada is very skilful. Naaga Chaturdhi was very near. This time those who were nearby, those who pray and those who pour milk were hesitating to go near the snake pit. Anyhow, Naaga-chaturdhi approached. How wonderful is this world! They pray, “Naaga-devataa! Naaga-devataa! Kindly appear.” However, when Naaga devata appears no one will be there. They run with fear. When we and the old couple placed the milk offered to Sri Sreepada, at the snake pit and prayed three cobras appeared. They drank the milk and went back into the snake pit. Excepting us no one came to pour milk into the snake pit. By protecting His devotees Sri Sreepada taught a lesson to those who attempted to kill the cobras A conjurer came to our village on Naaga-chaturdhi. He was welcomed by our kinsmen and the village headman. He was capable of bringing any poisonous serpent under his control by immobilizing it with the efficacy of his mantras. He was bringing back to life anyone who was bitten by a snake. He was having the line of garuda(the divine eagle-the carrier of Lord Vishnu) in his hand. Scriptures hold that serpents would come under the control of men who had the line of garuda in their hands. The headman and the conjurer were contemplating to kill the serpents. Burning flames were arranged in the entire area in the vicinity of the snake pit. The conjurer sat on his seat and conducting weird taantrick rites. He was chanting mantras loudly. We were pained that it was sinful to kill noble serpents. We were helpless. We were praying that Sri Sreepada alone has to rescue the innocent serpents of a noble class. The serpents came out of the pit as if they were subjugated. This gave lot of joy to the magician and his followers. However, that joy was short-lived. The serpents which came out were becoming bigger and bigger every moment. The magician was reading the mantras loudly. The serpents were moving towards the raging fires as if they were subdued by the efficacy of mantras. What a wonder! The fire was getting extinguished only in their path as though the Fire God gave them the passage. Finally all the fire died down. The king cobras freely departed from there. The conjurer and his followers were aghast. In the meanwhile the eldest son of the headman developed symptoms of a person bitten by a snake. The eye sight of the second son grew dim. It was strange that symptoms of snake bite appeared and the body became poisonous without the biting of a snake. It was also unusual to become blind suddenly. The conjurer chanted many mantras but to no avail. The line of garuda in his hand changed shape and completely disappeared. Great fear seized the head man of the village. There was no one to save except the saviour of the helpless, Sreepada. The strength of mantras in the conjurer diminished completely. He was dead within few minutes. Who knows how the play of Sri Sreepada would be in a particular time? The village headman came running to us and was wailing. What can we also do? We told him that his two sons would be alive if he remembers Sri Sreepada with single minded devotion. The corpse of the magician was in the house of village headman. The two sons of the village headman became victims of the irony of fate. Our kinsmen shuddered with fear. The whole atmosphere was pathetic. The corpse of the magician was taken to the burial ground. The funeral pyre was arranged and fire was lit. There was sudden movement in the burning dead body. The corpse was crying to save it from the burning flames. The guards of the burial ground, however, refused to pour water on the burning pyre. They maintained that the magician became a ghost and re-entered the body and that he would indulge in all evil activities of the ghost with the same human body, if he were to be saved. They added that if his corpse was burnt to ashes it would remain merely as a ghost and trouble only a few who come under its control by entering into their bodies. They thought that a ghost who enters into his own body would have more powers than a ghost without a body. That ghost in its own human body would cause great destruction and misery. The peculiar method of Sreepada Sreevallabha was to reveal the real nature of His incarnation by making people to experience the fruits of their past actions by generating suitable feelings in their minds in accordance with their praarabdha(accumulated consequences of previous acts). A kind one among the guards of burial ground who could not bear the suffering of the dead body poured some water. That water did not put out the fire. On the other hand it made the fire burn brightly as if ghee was poured into it. Even though his body was engulfed in flames it did not get burnt. His limbs were not disfigured. He was experiencing the suffering to be experienced in the hell with his body. My Shankar Bhatt! Creatures suffering many kinds of troubles reside in rourava and other greater hells from crores of years. While taking bath, wringing shikha or towel, taking meals; water will be sprinkled with the mantra‘Rourave punya nilaye padmarbhuda nivasinam, ardhinam udakam dattam akshya mapatishtu’. The sacred water which is released will quench the thirst of those who dwell in unholy hells like rourava from countless crores of years.Sri Sreepada is an easily accessible golden treasure to righteous people. He is like YamadharmaRaja to those fallen from virtue and those who commit heinous sins.The dead body of the magician rose from the funeral pyre. It started jumping and reached the house of village headman. Without being burnt and at the same time undergoing excruciating agony from the fire and crying aloud the conjurer reached the house of village headman. All of us are engaged at the house of village headman in narrating the stories of Lord Datta and in singing the divine name of Lord Sreepada Sreevallabha who is the divine, glorious and new incarnation of Lord Datta. The singing of the sacred name Datta Digambaraa! Datta Digambaraa! Sreepada Vallabha Datta Digambaraa! was charging the atmospheric air there with holiness.The divine rays from the gross form of Sreepada Sreevallabha purify those who are in close proximity to the gross form. The divine rays emanating from His subtle form purify the entire earth. The sacred rays emanating from His causative body purify crores and crores of universes. His great causative body remains always in the form of wise, good and blissful non-dualistic state. It rests in eternal tranquility. The superb heavenly rays spreading from that form sanctify avadhootas, quasi incarnations, great siddhas and great yogis who dwell in states of saalokya, saamipya and saayujya (living in the same heaven, living in closeness and getting absorbed in God). When we chant His divine name He stays there unseen by us. He proves His power and position through His divine miracles.The magician derided Sreepada saying, “Is Datta a ‘digambara’! Is Sreepada a Datta? Is Sreepada also a digambara? Is He a naked lunatic?” The magician was brought from the burial ground while the flames were tormenting his body. He was brought in a stark naked state to the place where the name of Sreepada was being sung and made to stand before the devotees. Was it a simple thing? Was it possible to ordinary yogis? Have we heard such leelas at any time? Have we seen them? Everything was strange, extremely wonderful, unheard and defied logic.Those who bow their head humbly before the auspicious feet of Sri Sreepada and seek His refuge will be happy. They will be happy like young infants under complete protection in the lap of their mother. They derive all auspicious things and comforts. While the singing of the name of Sri Sreepada was going on the magician was also dancing and getting relief. If he stopped dancing pain was increasing. It was quite troublesome for him to dance naked. He realised that it was all his own guilt and that he was experiencing the results of that guilt in that fashion. He recollected that he consigned many snakes to fire with the strength of his mantras. He thought that it was the fruit following his abuses of great people, digambara ascetics during the period of his ignorance. Repentance swelled in him and he surrendered to Sri Sreepada whole heartedly. After this development in his mind raging fire cooled down. I gave my apparel to him to wear. He participated with great enthusiasm in the divine singing. The eye sight of the second son of the village headman was completely restored by the time of sunrise. When the cow’s milk offered to Sri Sreepada was poured into the mouth of the eldest son, his state of stupor decreased and he regained consciousness. The conjurer left somewhere declaring that he would lead a virtuous life remembering the name of Sri Sreepada always. The village headman issued a decree giving the disputed land to the old couple. In the snake pit inhabited by three king cobras three audumbara trees came up. After some time one ascetic named Dattananda Avadhoota came to our house unasked for. He was sitting at the base of the audumbara trees in meditation. On one Saturday in the evening he offered halwa prepared by us to Sri Sreepada. He gave that also to us as prasaad and asked us to eat. He averred,“Sri Sreepada was sitting near the base of an audumbara tree in His maternal grandfather’s house in Pithapuram. His mother with a silver bowl filled with halwa used to feed it to Sri Sreepada who was sitting at the base of the tree with great affection. Sreepada Sreevallabha, Narasimha Saraswati and Swamy Samartha–those three names were symbolised by the three trees. These three trees were in the succession of the seeds of that audumbara tree in Pithikapuram. In future the seed in the continuation of the seeds of those audumbara trees grow as an audumbara tree in the birth place of Sreepada. There only His divine icon would be installed. Those who offer halwa to Sri Sreepada installed at the base of that audumbara tree during the time of sani- pradosha will have the grace of Sri Sreepada as a golden treasure within easy reach.” My devotion was strengthened after hearing these wonderful stories. Nextday I left for Kurungadda. Victory Victory unto Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha!